The rise of ‘Dr Google’

Use of the internet to research and self-diagnose health issues by members of the public

Dr. Google turned 20 years old on 27, September 2018, & throughout this last two decades, the usage of internet has increased rapidly so as the popularity of Dr. Google, which has helped the searchers to self-diagnose health concerns. In Britain itself, 75 percent of the population have treated their ailment or illness after googling their symptoms. The benefits of Dr. Google is pretty clear as it is easier than going to a physical doctor and it is more private too. Furthermore, the fundamental reason that why Dr. Google’ s popularity has also been increased during this decades is because the patients were able to find symptoms, treatments and diagnoses of their illness via few clicks only and online self-diagnosis are pretty well documented which has been created by many health experts.

Moreover, with time the Google algorithm has strengthened up there self-diagnosis health checks which has made Dr. Google more efficient & more reliable and focuses on the causes and effects searched on internet by individuals with precise evidences. Though we cannot blindly follow internet because the Judgment may go wrong on the basis of the information we have searched to get more specific and relevant idea about the situation a patient needs to visit his consulted Doctor, to get an procure and relevant status of his or her condition.  For example, if you search on Dr. Google by asking “how to reduce acne or pimples on your face”, you may receive five different type of answers, like, wash your face, no exposure to sun, apply moisturizer, stay hydrated, etc. and all this remedies are not wrong, but there would be a possibility that the doctor’s point of view may differ, may be the cause of pimple would be your diet, medication, endocrine disorders, Pregnancy, genetic factors, etc. And that’s why it’s important to understand that Dr. Google is meant to aid illness, but it cannot replace the health care professional, who are sitting physically to help and examine our health related concerns and symptoms.

In the end, the rise of dr. Google is a boon for every individual but it doesn’t mean that it would replace the Health Care Professionals. The Dr. Google search result is intended to provide patients with medical advice on the internet and should be considered for an informational purpose but for a precise understanding of the medical condition consulting a healthcare professional is required. Furthermore, a patient needs to remember that doctor sees you and your medical condition differently as compared to how Dr. Google sees it. A professional Healthcare Doctor will have a thorough look at your symptoms and signs and will provide correct interpretation after the examination. Finally, in this modern era, people are more aware of their good and bad, and the rise of dr. Google is not at all a competition or a threat but it has the potential to be truly helpful or harmful, which will depend upon how an internet user utilises the information which he or she receives.